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Moving slowly, I came to the kitchen window. The lights were brighter, although with the fog shrouding me, there was no glare so I could see in quite plainly. Two things immediately struck me:
Rafe was not there, and someone had Margaret tied to one of the chairs. Stevenson stood across from her, a pistol pointing in her direction.
“Tell me where he went, or you’ll wish you had.”
His words were muffled, and if Margaret answered, her voice was too quiet for me to hear.
But really.Or you’ll wish you had?With that faux-threatening tone of voice? Both Rutger and Stevenson had read too many dime novels.
Debating my next move, I didn’t notice the man behind me until he grabbed me and got a hand over my mouth. I inhaled to scream, smelled burning herbs, and came close to collapsing on the spot.
Rafe.
He must have felt me relax because he released his grasp. “They’re making a mistake.”
His voice, so low and dark, sent chills down my spine. “Why?”
“Because that idiot thinks he’s going to control the Cor. From what I can tell, if he doesn’t find the amulet, he’s going to try to work the same spell the necromancer did all those years ago, to bind the Cor to a new object.”
That sank my spirits. “Rutger is a ritual master.”
“Maybe, but according to Martin, the Cor doesn’t respond well to demands, and its had years to learn how to avoid them.”
“What?”
“Martin was able to control it because he had the amulet and he asked in a way the Cor could understand. He offered the Cor something it wanted. No one likes to be a slave.”
“Not even a demon spirit?” I might have had a hint of sarcasm in my voice.
“Come with me. We’ll hide away until this idiot is ready to play his game.”
“No.” I pulled away from his grasp. “Margaret is in there with Stevenson and he’s got a gun, and it looks like they injured your mother.”
Rafe paused, barely a darkened silhouette in the fog. “You’re right. Here.”
He took my hand and put a stone in it. “Make me a weapon and we’ll get rid of him.”
“The others will hear.”
I wasn’t sure, but I could almost swear he smiled. “They will, won’t they.”
“You are not going after him with a fake gun.” I clutched his arm, afraid he’d go running off without me. “I don’t know how many more men there are. We can’t fight all of them at once.”
“I could.”
“I’m very sure you could, but would it be better to allow Rutger to set up his ritual, then you can go in and take it over. I had the impression you weren’t completely sure of the steps you’d need to take to stop Martin, so we might as well take advantage of his power.”
Rafe nodded, but before we could discuss the point further, a dull thump interrupted us. A quick glance through the kitchen window showed me Stevenson on the floor. Margaret had vanished.
“What did she do?” I pulled on Rafe’s arm. “Margaret, she’s—”
I was again interrupted, this time by the squeak of wood against wood.
“There,” Rafe said, pointing toward the next set of windows. I set a ball of witchlight floating ahead of us and ran.
Margaret was easing open the window in the room she’d shared with Della. “Vincent, here.”
I reached her with Rafe right behind me. Both of us lifted the sash, while Margaret helped Della from the bed. “Where can we go?” she asked, pulling the room’s only chair to the window.
